City Council Candidate to Voters: Let Your Voice Be Heard

By BERNARD JONES JR.

February 20, 2018 at 11:11 PM

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Credits: All photos courtesy of Bernard Jones Jr.

Dear Editor:

It is very important for the citizens of Paterson to participate in local city-wide elections because elected officials can help determine the economic, educational and social well-being of entire communities. For example, two very important tasks of city council members include making laws and allocating money.

Elected officials are the gatekeepers for millions of dollars in tax revenue—that is, money paid by any one in the public old enough to purchase taxable merchandise, own property, or earn a paycheck. Elected officials control which individuals, groups, communities, businesses, and institutions receive taxpayer dollars, how much they receive, and the purpose for which they can use the money.

Local elected officials are public servants who serve at the pleasure of ordinary citizens—like you and me. For example, in city elections in Paterson, every four years voters go to the polls to decide whether their elected officials deserve another term in office some do some don’t. Ultimately, elected officials, are judged by the quality of their leadership. Are they accessible to the public? Do they represent all demographics, rich, poor, everyone? Do they bring money or other resources back to our city?

Those are the questions that the 160,000 citizens in the great city of Paterson have to ask themselves every day.

The policies generated from your participation in local city-wide elections shape almost every aspect of our lives. It is important that voters do not take a back seat in the political decisions that result in these policies. Let your voice be heard by voting in all local city-wide elections.

Sincerely,

Bernard Jones Jr.

Candidate for Councilman at Large

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